Customer Reviews

Red Dwarf: Back to Earth

5 star:		(20)
4 star:		(18)
3 star:		(13)
2 star:		(9)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

I'll freely admit that the original series got a bit stagnant from series 5 through 7, however I really felt that 8 shaped up to be a return to form. Now, ten years later, we finally get more. To be honest, it is best watched in one sitting as the first episode really introduces (or re-introduces) the characters we know and love and watching them individually does break up the flow a bit. The story (and the funny) really picks up in the second ep and continues through the third. In all, Back to Earth brings back much of what made the original series great and sets the stage for a new series nicely. It left me wanting more without leaving me hanging.

The DVD contains...

(Disc 1)

* Features both a Director's Cut version of Back to Earth and the original televised version: In other words, a play all as it's meant to be seen, or in the 3 parts it was shown on TV.
* Cast Commentary by Chris Barry (Rimmer), Danny John Jules (Cat), Robert Llewellyn (Kryten) & of coarse Craig Charles(Dave Lister)
* Director Commentary with Doug Naylor.

(Disc 2)

* All-New Exclusive Documentary:
* The Making of Back to Earth part 1 & 2
* Deleted Scenes
* Smeg Ups
* Featurettes
* Trailers & TV Spots
* Web Videos
* Photo Gallery
* Easter Egg of Danny getting a free drink.

SPOILER (Dont read on if you don't want to know how to access the egg)
when disc 2 starts, you will see a skutter roll by on the screen and flip you off, hit the enter button on your remote while it does this.

After waiting ten years for a Red Dwarf reunion, hearing rumours of another series or even a big-screen movie, fans' anticipation level for "Back to Earth" was VERY high. I'm sure I'm not the only fan who, after viewing this 3-part episode, was left wondering if the wait was worth it.

(SPOILERS AHEAD)

While it is nice to have most of the cast back (including a too-late and too-brief turn by Chloe Annett), the magic that made Red Dwarf such fun is laregly missing. It starts off promisingly enough, with Lister making Rimmer the butt of another in a series of practical jokes. But when the main plot kicks in, a sinking feeling of deja vu sets in. "Back to Earth" appropriates the plot from an earlier, better episode, "Back to Reality." I won't give it all away, but if you've seen the earlier episode, the "twist" ending of this one won't come as a shock at all.

The other, only slightly lesser problem is that very little attempt is made to maintain the series' continuity. It's been ten years (nine, according to an on-screen message) since the crew was left hanging at the end of "Only the Good. . .". When "Back to Earth" begins, Rimmer is inexplicably a hologram again, Kochanski has been written out of the show, and the ship is back in deep space with the 4 lead players in place like nothing has changed.

So, you're thinking, this guy's given it 3 stars...is there ANYTHING good about it? Well, yes. For starters, everyone looks like they've barely aged, which is just short of miraculous considering the first episode of Red Dwarf aired 21 years ago. And even though the script gives them little of note to work with, the actors slip back into their roles with ease. Production values are generally high, although a CGI skutter in place of the old animatronic one will make long-time fans cringe.

As a long-time fan, I'd certainly be thrilled if this led to a revival of the series. I just hope the writers can come up with some fresh and FUNNY ideas, or they should let Red Dwarf rest in peace.

The real triumph of "Red Dwarf: Back To Earth": They're BACK !!!!

Despite the 10-year hiatus since Series 8, Chris Barrie (Rimmer), Craig Charles (Lister), Danny John-Jules (Cat), and Robert Llewellyn (Kryten) have lost none of their old comic chemistry. Congrats to all for returning in such fine comedic - and physical - form.

Individually and collectively the primary cast have grown even more skilled since we saw them last ... which they definitely needed here, because the BTE script gave them *little* to work with. (Most complaints at the Amazon.co.uk website regarding BTE as broadcast, for instance, basically boil down to story/script problems.)

I shall spare you my own protracted diatribe about the weak BTE script. Suffice it to say, my biggest frustration is how easily this script could have been better, both stronger and funnier. The audience kept being offered seeds of potential genius ... but such `seeds' were never paid off by this script. Just one example from many: new character Katerina Bartikovsky - brilliantly brought to life by the refreshing and very talented Sophie Winkleman - was so delicious in all ways she presented a fantastic opportunity for wild, fun, and original new things, but she was given no character arc and sadly little to do.

The production values were refreshingly excellent despite next-to-no budget, kudos to D.P. Andy Martin and a worldwide VFX team led by Mike Seymour. It is a pity, however, that as much attention was not paid to the story's substance, as its visual style.

So why, you may ask, am I still giving BTE a rating of 5 stars?

Reason #1 - Even with BTE's weak script, "Red Dwarf" is still funnier than anything else out there.

There are some bits in BTE which are absolutely "classic `Dwarf' ". Rimmer's unique solution to Katerina Bartikovsky, for instance, was so laugh-out-loud funny that our group of 40 Dwarf-ers new and old threatened to shake apart the building. Or Cat, in the diving bell scene while all hell is breaking loose behind him. Great, great stuff! I, personally, laughed right out loud more than I had since ... well ... the last time I'd watched "Red Dwarf"!

Reason #2 - The Cast. This cast play off each other with such natural genius, just stand back and let `em rip!

The endlessly versatile Chris Barrie proves yet again that he's the funniest thing on two feet, deftly able to make something out of nothing (which he had to do a lot, in BTE). Craig Charles has improved dramatic range, over years past. Danny John-Jules impressed me with new layers of comic timing and subtlety. Robert Llewellyn remains `Mr Nice Guy' personified. Newcomer to the show Sophie Winkleman fit in so perfectly and brought so much to her role it was a real pleasure to watch her work and left the audience eager for more, and Jeremy Swift delighted with a small but `cherce' bit as a mad shop clerk.

Reason #3 - If all else fails, and BTE's story shortcomings still get you down, watch it with the DVD Cast Commentary.

Chris, Craig, Danny, and Robert know each other so well, and play off each other so perfectly, that they are frequently even more funny `unscripted' on the Commentary track than they are with dialogue written for the characters they play. (I freely confess that watching with the Cast Commentary track "on" is the ONLY way - once beyond "Tikka To Ride" and the great "Stoke Me A Clipper", which gets my vote for Best Episode Ever - that I can get through Series 7 without falling asleep.)

Reason #4 - This DVD's extras/bonus features are especially varied, of general and specific interest, and well-done.

As we have come to expect from "Red Dwarf" releases, thanks to - Andrew Ellard, is it? - who assembles these consistently superior DVDs. This DVD is surprisingly affordable and a great entertainment and educational value for its price. I have so enjoyed the PAL version I bought in June upon initial UK release that I have pre-ordered the NTSC (Canada/US) version, too. Here are some BTE extras I particularly recommend:

Cast Commentary (Disc One): Episodes One, Two, and Three, exactly as broadcast, with the cast's own amusing commentary on what they did and what we see

Director's Commentary (Disc One): "Director's Cut" omits intervening credits & titles, with a more technically-oriented commentary

"The Making of ..." Documentary: Part One is a short 24-minute version broadcast on Dave, of which a favourite highlight is Robert Llewellyn's description of how to cram four fully grown adult males into a Smart-For-Two car, otherwise known as Carbug - even the two big guys in the `back'! Part Two (also on Disc Two) is 48 minutes, more good stuff on a different variety of topics.

Deleted Scenes, available with/without Director's Commentary. (Includes a nice scene, sadly cut for time, between Rimmer and Katerina wherein we finally get an explanation "why huge meteorites lying around Cargo Bays J, L, and K" throughout all these years ;-)

Featurettes on various subjects. (The "Carbug" segment among the "Behind the Scenes Web Videos" is a definite Must See!)

Smeg Ups (Outtakes) - this contains my personal favourite moment on the whole DVD set. All 4 of the `Boys From The Dwarf' are supposed to be running straight toward camera; the shot is blown on the first stride out when Kryten's leg falls off, Robert limps off to the side. But pause at about 09:55, the look of sheer shared joy and laughter between Danny, Chris, and Craig - by all accounts three of the most differing personalities imaginable - it's a captured magic moment that reaffirms one's basic hope for humanity.

Now, perhaps more than ever, the world needs hope and laughter. We need MORE DWARF!

As a huge fan of the entire series, which is still funny 21 years after it started and a decade after it finished, I admit that I had rather high expectations of this mini-series.

Unfortunately, those expectations weren't even close to being fulfilled. Things start off well enough; the usual hijinks from the Boys from the Dwarf. Continuity? We don't need that. Just bring on the funny. As a previous review mentioned, everyone looks exactly like they have for the entire series. No small feat considered the time span involved. After the first 10 minutes or so, when the joy at seeing the characters back on the screen fades, you begin to notice that something is horribly, terribly wrong. The jokes just aren't funny. Not only are they not funny, they're stupid. They're forced, because the writing is dreadful. The plot twists are cliched and previously used in the series. CGI is much, much worse than animatronic or models.

The actors are trying, but they just don't have anything to work with. You can tell they're almost embarrassed to be doing this. At the end of the mini-series,
you're relieved it's over. I actually had to go back and rewatch the entire 8 seasons afterwards to remind myself what a fantastic show "Red Dwarf" was. In fact, I had to make my wife watch them all too, to prove to her that the show was good. After watching only "Back to Earth", she thought I was insane for liking the show.

It's that bad.

So why 3 stars? Because I can't bear to give the crew of the Short Rouge One any less than that.

Any fan of the show should watch the mini-series. I just would really, really suggest you refrain for actually paying for it. And don't say you weren't warned.

I loved Red Dwarf as a series. I thought it was funnier than heck. So as many other fans, I was excited when this came out, but disappointed when I seen it. There isn't a lot of comedy in this one. It seems the writers want to do drama now instead of comedy, but still want to do Red Dwarf. Result: you get a stupid Red Dwarf. Instead of continuing on from where the series left off, it jumps nine years latter with no explaination of how our charaters got out of the mess they were in when we last seen them. And the special effects were crap too. But it wasn't all bad. The actors are as good as ever, and there are some good and funny moments in it, but just not enough. In all, I would not spend my money on this one if I were you.

I love Red Dwarf, and I think that it's one of the best comedy shows around. I was so excited to see the release of this DVD. Unfortunately, the show was just awful. It could have and should have been so much funnier. The writers did a huge disservice to the characters and to the show, and as a consequence, to the viewers. I thought that Robert Llewellyn, Chris Barrie and Danny John-Jules were great in their respective roles, but Craig Charles' Lister of today just did not strike me as the Lister of yesterday. He wasn't bad, he just wasn't Lister-y enough for me! Maybe as Lister would be if too mellowed by age?

I thought the laughs were few and far between, and again, the story itself was just miserable. The main good thing that came out of it is it got me to pull out season one again, and that reminded me why I love Red Dwarf.

I'm a newcomer to the RED DWARF universe. Utilizing Netflix (I usually buy almost everything I watch on DVD, but I thought these sets way overpriced) I started with Season One and worked my way all the way through Season Eight. I then found a website that streamed these episodes. Watching the episodes and then hitting some fan boards it became clear that while I enjoyed the show in its middle years (from Season Three when Kryten became a full time character to the end of Season Six), I was not the fan that many were. Still, I even mildly enjoyed Seasons Seven and Eight and looked forward to what many are calling "Season Nine." Heck, I'll even watch Season Ten if it materializes.

But being objective, this miniseries isn't very good. First and foremost, there are a lot of dead moments, when either the pacing and timing isn't quite right, or the jokes just aren't working. There are also some decent bits, but in the end it is more of a wash between the good and flat moments. I suppose it is worth watching, especially if you are a fan of the series as a whole, but some fans might prefer to remember the show as it was.

I'm not quite sure why the miniseries was based on BLADE RUNNER. None of the best bits of the show rely on its imitation of that film. I mean, once you've caught on that they are imitating BLADE RUNNER, what else is there? It just doesn't lead to anything. It isn't good writing so much as a substitute for good writing.

Still, even if it isn't a terribly successful miniseries, it was great to see Lister, Kryten, Rimmer, and Cat all together again. For me, at least, the group still works as an ensemble and I would welcome a continuance of the series. I would just prefer stronger writing.

Ten years since series 8 we finally get more smeggin' dwarf! This DVD is great because we actually get a widescreen 3-part special for the first time in superb high DVD quality. There's a lot of talk that there's a down side by not having a laugh track, and in some case that is right. I've only seen series SIX without the laugh track and thought that it wasn't that funny, but with the laugh track I enjoyed gags more. As with this special I also watched with and without an added laugh track..and I came to the conclusion that I really appreciated watching these great actors perform just as they did with out interruptions. Remember, that series SEVEN was also filmed without a live audience, but one was added in. I felt at first this project was rushed, but really found the team interesting in the behind the scenes action. Rumors I hear say this was made partly to help budget series NINE or that "So-Called" movie we've been hearing about for 20 years! lol! Just to keep up with my collection and for any support towards more future Red Dwarf series..this DVD is worth it!

We waited SO long, just like everyone else who loved RED DWARF for them to FINALLY make either the movie or more episodes. However considering how long they had to work on this story you think it would (and SHOULD) have been better. Only very few funny parts, a lot of confusing things-we have all the episodes on dvd and have watched them many times, but I still felt as if I missed a big part or a critical episode. Maybe something was aired on the BBC in the UK that we didn't get here???
But as good as it was to see the guys, it was VERY disappointing.
If you still want to check it out, see if you can rent it somewhere. I don't recommend purchasing it.